“openEHR is being recognised as a standard that will drive digitalisation in healthcare forward”

By

Better

Institute of Oncology Ljubljana

Looking back, how would you evaluate the past year? What key milestones or challenges defined 2024 for you? 

Over the past year, openEHR continued to make significant strides in being recognised as a standard that will drive digitalisation in healthcare forward. There is also a growing consensus that openEHR and FHIR complement each other and together can advance interoperability and drive the healthcare sector forward. Of course, challenges remain. Though an increasing number of organisations are adopting openEHR, it is still a maturing standard, and many remain cautious about embracing a new approach with relatively “untested” solutions. In the past, there were a lot of examples where organisations embarked on projects that offered something new and untested, and, unfortunately, there were a lot of failures. The key here is for organisations that are working with openEHR supported solutions to share their experience and best practices with others and with each other to overcome any challenges or doubts and avoid any possible pitfalls. 

What do you consider the most significant successes in your market this year, both in terms of business growth and customer impact? 

In Slovenia, following the 2023 publication of the digital national health strategy that established openEHR as one of the key standards to expand digitalisation in healthcare, Slovenia is working both nationally and locally on preparing a number of projects that will comply with the strategy’s requirements. The Institute of Oncology in Ljubljana started implementing a postmodern EHR with a group of Slovenian companies. They will develop and implement a new, modern, and standards-based Patient Administration Portal (PAS) that will work natively on the Better digital health platform along with Better Clinical modules such as Better Meds, Better eObs, Better PROMS, and Better Patient Chart. One of the major successes in the Netherlands is the publication of three more tenders with openEHR requirements. This is in addition to the RSO Zuid Limburg region being completely committed to openEHR, with work underway to build its digital health platform based on the standard. Furthermore, their regional representatives are working with national bodies to impact further adoption of openEHR. 

How will emerging healthcare and technology trends shape the market next year? 

While regions have increasingly recognised openEHR as a viable option for shared care records, a growing trend signals that hospitals are also shifting away from traditional, monolithic systems that no longer meet their evolving needs. Many hospitals today recognise that legacy EHR systems often fall short of expectations, and modern options on the market aren’t revolutionary – they are offering new versions of outdated models. This is leading hospitals to look at different approaches with flexible, interoperable systems that support dynamic, patient-centered care. This trend is already evident with Better winning contracts with institutions like the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Karolinska University Hospital, University Hospital Basel, and Kantonsspital St.Gallen in Switzerland. So, it will definitely be interesting to follow how this trend will evolve. 

What are the key priorities and expectations for the Dutch and Slovenian markets in the next year? 

Priority in the Netherlands is to begin the implementation of the openEHR project in RSO Zuid Limburg region. We are also expecting to extend this type of partnership with other regions facing similar digitalisation challenges. Further cementing openEHR as a recognised standard for data availability in the Netherlands is also crucial, positioning it alongside other established standards to underscore its value in driving effective, sustainable healthcare digitalisation. I anticipate that the Dutch market will see a growing number of tenders and opportunities centred on openEHR, opening doors for Better to play a leading role in advancing digital health transformation in the country. In Slovenia, we will work to implement the first comprehensive postmodern EHR at the Institute of Oncology. 

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